1951
Headline Event of the Year Baseball's Shot Heard 'Round the World gives the New York Giants the National League Pennant in the third game of a three game tiebreaker series over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Champions Major League Baseball *World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants (4-2) *All-Star Game, July 10 at Briggs Stadium: National League, 8-3 Other champions *Caribbean World Series: Cangrejeros de Santurce (Puerto Rico) *College World Series: Oklahoma *Japan Series: Yomiuri Giants over Nankai Hawks (4-2) *Little League World Series: Stamford, Connecticut *All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: South Bend Blue Sox Awards and honors *MLB Most Valuable Player Award ** Yogi Berra, New York Yankees, C ** Roy Campanella, Brooklyn Dodgers, C *MLB Rookie of the Year Award **Gil McDougald, New York Yankees, 3B **Willie Mays, New York Giants, OF *The Sporting News Player of the Year Award **Stan Musial St. Louis Cardinals *The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award **Leo Durocher New York Giants Statistical Leaders |} Major League Baseball final standings American League final standings |} National League final standings |} Events January-March *January 23 - Guido Rujo sells his interest in the Boston Braves to copartners Lou Perini and treasurer Joe Many. *January 26 - The baseball writers vote Mel Ott and Jimmie Foxx into the Hall Of Fame. *March 10 - The St. Louis Browns reveal plans to move the club to Milwaukee because of poor attendance. *March 21 - Pittsburgh Pirates' lefty first baseman Dale Long makes his first appearance as a catcher in an exhibition game against San Diego. April-June July-September *July 10 - Exploding for a record four home runs, the National League trounces the American League 8-3 at the annual All-Star Game, at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. Pittsburgh Pirates' slugger Ralph Kiner hits a home run for the 3rd year in a row. *July 17 - After pitching for Bill Veeck in Cleveland in 1948, Satchel Paige rejions him with the St. Louis Browns. October-December *October 10 - Hank Bauer's bases-loaded triple propels the New York Yankees to a 4-3 win over the Giants and with it their 3rd straight championship. The Yankees beat the New York Giants 4 games to 2. Just before the game, Giants manager Leo Durocher turns over a letter he received to Ford Frick that offer the Giants manager a $15,000 bribe "if the Giants managed to lose the next 3 games". *October 17 - the Yomiuri Giants win the Japan Series over the Nankai Hawks. Incredibly, they will win the pennant 19 times in the next 23 years, including 9 in succession (1965-1973). Movies *''Rhubarb'' *''Angels in the Outfield'' Births *January 2 - Bill Madlock *April 6 - Bert Blyleven *June 9 - Dave Parker *June 24 - Ken Reitz *July 5 - Rich Gossage *August 27 - Buddy Bell *October 3 - Dave Winfield *October 25 - Al Cowens (d. 2002) *November 3 - Dwight Evans *November 25 - Buckly Dent Deaths *February 6 - Gabby Street, 68, manager of the Cardinals' 1931 World Series champions, previously a catcher for Walter Johnson *February 25 - Smokey Joe Williams, 64, Hall of Fame fireballing Negro Leagues pitcher *March 25 - Eddie Collins, 63, Hall of Fame second baseman and career .333 hitter for the Athletics and White Sox, the 1914 AL MVP, the sixth player to make 3000 hits, and second to Ty Cobb in career steals *July 9 - Harry Heilmann, 56, Hall of Fame right fielder and 4-time AL batting champion who batted .342 in his career, primarily with the Detroit Tigers *September 16 - Bill Klem, 77, "father of baseball umpires" who worked in a record 18 World Series during a 37-year career, and introduced the inside chest protector. Was one of first 2 umpires in Hall of Fame. *November 26 - Pete Hill, 71, baseball's first great black outfielder (Hall of Famer). *December 5 - Shoeless Joe Jackson, 62, career .356 hitter who was the most prominent of the eight players banned from baseball after the Black Sox scandal *December 8 - Bobby Lowe, 86, second baseman for multiple Boston champions in the 1890s. Lowe 1st was 1st major league player to hit 4 home runs in one game (1894).